Acne Topics

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Allergies May Be Causing Your Acne!

People who suffer with acne prone skin may begin to wonder what's really causing the acne. Sure, teenage acne is triggered by raging hormones, which is to be expected, but what about the millions of adults suffering from acne? Surely puberty is no longer to blame. People often think that if they find the right face wash or acne product their acne will be cured forever, but that's not always the case. Many people don't investigate the root cause of their acne which is why they continue to have breakouts even after trying every acne product on the market.

Truth is, many things can cause acne. Hormonal imbalances, high stress levels, poor hygiene, poor diet. The list goes on and on. Did you know that a really high percentage of people suffering from acne actually have an allergy that they may be unaware of? When I turned 25 I had given up on ever having clear skin. That's when I had a simple conversation with my mother and she told me that when I was an infant I had to be put on soy formula because dairy upset my stomach. Everything suddenly started making sense! Maybe I was lactose intolerant all of these years and THAT is what was causing my acne! I immediately cut out all dairy to test my theory. Sure enough, my skin started clearing up within a few weeks. A few months down the road my skin was practically normal except for some scars and redness. So, if you struggle with acne I urge you to consult a doctor to have an allergy test done. You might be surprised to find out that you have allergies to products or foods that you come into contact with every day. A friend of mine also suffered from terrible cystic acne and when she had an allergy test done she found out that she was allergic to basically all of the preservatives that they use in foods, lotions, body washes, soaps, etc. She now has to use ONLY natural products that contain no preservatives. She struggles to find products that won't irritate her skin, but it has paid off because her skin has never looked better! No more painful cystic acne.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is an ingredient that is found in TONS of skincare and hygiene products. It's in almost all soaps, shampoos, body washes, and toothpaste. It's what makes things lather up and get foamy. It's also a HUGE skin irritant for many people. Even if you're not necessarily allergic to it, avoiding it for a while might help you determine if it's contributing to your acne.

Gluten is another biggie nowadays. Many people are finding out that they have a gluten intolerance (I think that's what it's called...) I know at least ten people who are on gluten free diets because they found out that it was causing all sorts of health issues, like irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, acid reflux, and so on. I haven't found much research on gluten intolerance and acne, but my theory is that if you are allergic to something it can affect your body in all sorts of ways.

So, if you're really trying to get rid of your acne you should definitely consider possible unknown allergies. If you discover that you don't have any allergies you can then move on to other underlying causes, like hormonal imbalances, high stress levels, nutritional deficiencies, etc. The process of ruling out underlying causes might seem daunting, but it's really the first step in truly clear and healthy skin! Stop wasting your time and money on expensive acne products. Figure out the root cause of your acne and you'll never have to spend another moment (or dollar) on an acne product that promises to be the miracle cure for your acne. Just my two cents.